HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
Oil Spill
Lab lands grant to examine effects of BP oil spill
by MBJ Staff
Published: November 20,2012
STARKVILLE — The Mississippi State Chemical Laboratory is receiving funding
to support an enhanced multi-state research program examining effects of
the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on the Gulf of Mexico.
http://msbusiness.com/blog/2012/11/20/lab-lands-grant-to-examine-effects-of-bp-oil-spill/
State News
EPA decree on water system violations filed by city
Clarion Ledger
An extensive accord between the city of Jackson and the Environmental
Protection Agency has been signed, sealed and delivered to court, but it
may be some time before the document's full impact is known.
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20121121/NEWS/311200056/EPA-decree-water-system-violations-filed-by-Jackson
Mississippi's capital city agrees to federal plan to improve sewer system
to prevent overflow
AP
JACKSON, Miss. — Mississippi's capital city will pay hundreds of millions
of dollars to improve its water system to prevent the overflow of raw
sewage, under a proposed consent decree announced Tuesday by federal and
state officials.
http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/ece92d5578554cdabab93874d1e1d856/MS--Jackson-Water
Deck the DeSoto halls - with recycled rubbish that treasures creativity
Commercial Appeal
By Henry Bailey
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
"I like the 'snowcans' the most," decided Mackenzie Thaxton, eyeing the
shiny, flayed aluminum Mountain Dew can that the 17-year-old Hernando High
senior and Art Club president was about to place on the tree.
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/nov/20/deck-the-desoto-halls-150-with-recycled-rubbish/?print=1
Supervisors name PRCUA board member
By David A. Farrell
The Picayune Item
POPLARVILLE — On Tuesday, Pearl River County supervisors named Fred Aubrey
of Lake Hillsdale to fill an empty position on the seven-member Pearl River
County Utility Authority board of directors, following an extended
conversation between supervisors and PRCUA board president Tommy Breland,
during which the dreaded words "north and south" were mentioned.
http://picayuneitem.com/local/x1951901496/Supervisors-name-PRCUA-board-member
Citizens group happy OS Harbor land swap deal abandoned
WLOX
A citizens group called "Friends of the Ocean Springs Harbor" is happy a
proposed land swap at the harbor has been scrapped. Tuesday, the group's
spokesman, Bruce Duckett, thanked the Commission on Marine Resources for
abandoning the controversial land swap.
http://www.wlox.com/story/20153768/citizens-group-happy-os-harbor-land-swap-deal-abandonded
Ward proposes wetlands fill for port-related development in North Gulfport
Sun Herald
By ANITA LEE — calee@sunherald.com
GULFPORT -- Ward Investments wants to develop 512 acres south of Interstate
10 for port-related development.
http://www.sunherald.com/2012/11/20/4315701/ward-proposes-north-gulfport-development.html
National News
U.S. and Mexico Sign a Deal on Sharing the Colorado River
NY Times
By IAN LOVETT
CORONADO, Calif. — The governments of the United States and Mexico signed
an agreement on Tuesday to overhaul how the two countries share and manage
water from the Colorado River, which provides water to more than 33 million
people in seven states and Mexico.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/21/us/us-and-mexico-sign-deal-on-managing-colorado-river.html?ref=earth&pagewanted=print
Global Carbon Dioxide Levels Hit New Record in 2011, Survey Shows
Reuters
GENEVA, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Atmospheric volumes of greenhouse gases blamed
for climate change hit a new record in 2011, the World Meteorological
Organization (WMO) said in its annual Greenhouse Gas Bulletin on Tuesday.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/20/global-carbon-dioxide-levels_n_2163612.html?utm_hp_ref=green
Lisa Jackson's 'Windsor' knot
Politico
By: Erica Martinson
November 20, 2012 06:30 PM EST
EPA officials say the agency wasn't trying to hide anything by giving
Administrator Lisa Jackson a secondary email address to use when
corresponding with other government officials.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1112/84112.html?hp=r9
Nutrient plan targets incentives, not regs
By Gene Lucht
Iowa Farmer Today
Wednesday, November 21, 2012 5:00 am
DES MOINES — State officials on Monday announced a plan for dealing with
nutrient runoff that is based on incentives and voluntary programs rather
than regulations.
http://www.iowafarmertoday.com/staff/nutrient-plan-targets-incentives-not-regs/article_cb70d02a-3352-11e2-a1b5-001a4bcf887a.html
Press Releases
(Embedded image moved to file: pic17825.jpg)
(Embedded image moved to file: pic03221.jpg)
(Embedded image moved to file: pic17870.jpg)
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
________________________________________________________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE DOJ (202) 514-2007
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2012 EPA (202) 564-4355
WWW.JUSTICE.GOV TTY (866) 544-5309
U.S. AND MISSISSIPPI ANNOUNCE CLEAN WATER ACT AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY OF
JACKSON
WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice, the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) and the Mississippi Department of Environmental
Quality (MDEQ) announced today a comprehensive Clean Water Act settlement
with the city of Jackson, Miss. Jackson has agreed to make improvements to
its sewer systems to eliminate unauthorized overflows of untreated raw
sewage and unauthorized bypasses of treatment at the Savanna Street
Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP), the city's largest wastewater treatment
facility. When wastewater systems overflow, they can release untreated
sewage and other pollutants into local waterways, threatening water quality
and contributing to beach closures and disease outbreaks.
"This agreement will bring lasting benefits to the people of Jackson
by reducing the threats to public health posed by untreated sewage
overflows," said Ignacia S. Moreno, Assistant Attorney General for the
Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division. "The
settlement will bring the city into compliance with the nation's Clean
Water Act, requiring significant upgrades to the existing sewer system.
Under the settlement, assistance will be provided to residents to repair
sewer connections in lower-income areas that have suffered historically
from overflows of untreated sewage"
"EPA is working with cities to protect the nation's waters from raw
sewage overflows that can have significant impacts on people's health and
the environment," said Cynthia Giles, Assistant Administrator for the EPA's
Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. "Today's settlement will
lead to improvements in the management of wastewater overflows, which will
reduce water pollution and benefit the Jackson community for years to
come."
"MDEQ has worked for several years with the city of Jackson on
compliance issues and corrections to their wastewater system," said
Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality Executive Director Trudy
Fisher. "Our efforts will continue to cooperatively work with the city and
help them move forward. We are hopeful this settlement will result in a
better quality of life for the city's citizens and an improvement in water
quality for the Pearl River and surrounding streams."
The consent decree requires Jackson to implement specific programs
designed to ensure proper management, operation and maintenance of its
sewer systems. In order to address the problem of wet weather overflows of
raw sewage from the sewer lines, Jackson will develop and implement a
comprehensive sewer system assessment and rehabilitation program. The city
will also develop and implement a comprehensive performance evaluation and
composite correction program to reduce the bypasses of treatment at the
Savanna Street WWTP.
The consent decree also requires Jackson to develop and implement
numerous sewer system capacity, management, operations and maintenance
programs, including a pump station operation and preventive maintenance
program, a WWTP operation and maintenance program and a water quality
monitoring program.
In addition to the control requirements, the consent decree requires
Jackson to pay a civil penalty of $437,916. As part of the settlement,
Jackson has also agreed to implement a supplemental environmental project
valued at $875,000 that will provide additional environmental benefits to
the local community. The project involves reducing the flow of water from
entering the sewer system by eliminating illicit stormwater connections and
repairing defective private lateral sewer lines from the low-income
residential properties.
Keeping raw sewage and contaminated stormwater out of the waters of
the United States is one of the EPA's national enforcement initiatives for
2011 to 2013. The initiative focuses on reducing sewer overflows, which can
present a significant threat to human health and the environment. These
reductions are accomplished by obtaining cities' commitments to implement
timely, affordable solutions to these problems, including the increased use
of green infrastructure and other innovative approaches.
The United States has reached similar agreements in the past with
numerous municipal entities across the country including Mobile and
Jefferson County (Birmingham), Ala.; Atlanta and Dekalb County, Ga.;
Memphis, Knoxville and Nashville, Tenn.; Miami-Dade County, Fla.; New
Orleans, La.; Hamilton County (Cincinnati), Oh.; Northern Kentucky
Sanitation District #1 and Louisville MSD, Ky.
The proposed consent decree with Jackson is subject to a 30-day public
comment period and final court approval before becoming effective. A copy
of the consent decree lodged today is available on the Department of
Justice website at www.justice.gov/enrd/Consent_Decrees.html
More about the settlement:
www.epa.gov/enforcement/water/cases/cityofjacksonmississippi.html
More information on EPA's national enforcement initiative:
www.epa.gov/compliance/data/planning/initiatives/2011sewagestormwater.html
# # #
